Damper and damper-controlling mechanism.



m. ss3,|sn. Patented Sept. 24, 19m.

2. e. LATHAM.

DAMPER AND DAMPER CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Apr. 24, 1900.)

(N0 Mndei.)

Witnesses Inventor .3" 664MB? MM.

4 Attorney a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT GJLATIIAM, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE;

DAMPER AND DAMPER-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent,No. 683,180, dated September 24,1901.

Application filed April 24, 1900.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, ROBERT Gr. LATHAM, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Manchester,in the county of Hillsboro and State -.boilers of house-heating apparatus.

The majority of boilers used in heating private dwellings are provided with some sort of device for the automatic regulation of the draft in accordance with the requirements of the fire to maintain an even temperature of water inhot-water heating apparatus or a given pressure of steam in steam heating apparatus. In steam heating apparatus, for example,a diaphragm is commonly used and provided with a weighted arm or lever, the free end of said lever being connected by a. chain with a hinged cover for the draft-opening in the ash-pit door, whereby draft is automatically admitted under the fire-grate when the steam'pressure drops below a given point or the draft opening is automatically closed when the steam-pressure has again risen to or above the required point.

The object of my invention is to provide ineans whereby themovement of the coverot the draft-opening, whether in opening or closing,shall cause the damper in the smoke-flue of a'boiler to likewise open or close in unison with said cover of the draft opening; and the invention consists. in the novel means em-' ployed for accomplishing the above object, thereby eifectinga great saving of fuel and a more even fire and heat resulting therefrom, as fully set forth in the following specification and claim, and clearly illustrated in the draw ings accompanying and forming a partthereof,'of whic Figure 1 is an elevation showing a steamboiler adapted for house-heatingpurposes and provided with my improved damper and its connections. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail showing my improved damper and the pipe-section to which it is fitted. Fig. Bis a the lever F to fall, which, by

.maintained with much lessv Serial No. 14,092- (No model.)

cross-sectional enlarged view of the pipe-sec tion in which my-improved damper appears in elevation.

, To insure its successful operation, the damper should be weighted or provided with a suitable spring for maintaining it normally open, then by proper connection with the cover of the draft-opening the influence of the diaphram upon said cover causing it to openwill necessarily open the damper, and

vice versa.

A is a boiler, B its ash-pit,.and C the ash-pit door, to which is hinged .the draft-plate D, which covers a suitable draft-opening. I

E is an ordinary diaphragm, to which at e is pivotally attached an arm or lever being actuated at f by the diaphragm, and the free end of said lever F is connected at d to the" draft-plate D G, which passes upward a pulley g, located above the boiler, and thence to said draft-plate. The arm or lever F is weighted at f, and when the pressure in' the boiler drops below a given point (determinedby the weight f) said weight f causes reason of its connection by chain with the draft-plate D,causes' the latter to gradually open, thus giving the fire more draft, which restores the steam to its normal or'required pressure.

The above-described arrangement for lating the draft automatically and for keeping the steam at its normal or required pressure is common to the majorityof house-heating apparatus, and I do not claim anything in this connection; but it is obvious that the regulation in this manner of draft alone without any provision for checking the free discharge of the air draft-opening) through the smoke-flue, with its consequent waste of heat, is objectionable reguing back as much as practicable of this air, which will have become heated to a high degree, the desired pressure of steam may be fuel and the-fire kept more uniform than when the heated air-is allowed to escape as freely as it has entered under the grate. Hence after repeated experiments I conceived the idea of devising some positive means for operating the damper in unison with the draftby a suitable chain; fromsaid lever over i lever F, said (thus admitted through the I from an economical standpoint, for by holdconsumption of plate of heating'boilers, to accomplish which it is very important that the damper should work freely and with as little friction as possible. Finding this to be quite necessary I prefer the construction shown and consisting of a short pipe section or housing for the damper formed in two sections, as seen at- 11 H in the drawings, said sections being separable longitudinally and each having lateral projections on opposite edges, as at h h, located midway from the ends of said sections and secured together by screws or rivets I, as seen in Fig. 1.

J is the damper, which is provided at opposite sides with journals j, fitting bearings formed part in each projection h h, as shown in the drawings, said journalsj being provided with shoulders j, adapted to rest against the ends ofthe bearings in said pipe-sections, and thus insure the proper central position and free movement of said damper within said pipe-section and without danger of contact or friction with its sides.

The damper is preferably weighted at 7' in a manner to causeit to move away' from the stop h" and rest normally against a stop It, said stops being formed upon or attached to said pipe-section H, and said damper is also provided with an arm K, which may be formed integral with or attached to one of its journals. The chain L is of proper length when resting upon the pulley l to connect the draft-plate D at (Z with the arm K when said draft-plate and the damper J are in the position seen in Fig. 1. The lever F may of course rise above its position shown in the drawings; but such movement would have no eltect upon either the draft-plate or the dam per, as the chain L is just long enough without slack to connect the two when both are 40 closed, and the chain G is only long enough to permit the proper opening of, the draftplate when the steam-pressure is below nor-- mal and the lever F at its lowest point. It will be found necessary to set the arm K ata proper angle with the damper, (the angle shown being preferable,) so that the operation of the latter may be assured, forif the said arm were placed in alinement with the damper the latter could not be easily started when Wide open, as the closing of said damper is effected wholly by the weight of the draft-plate and opened by reason of its counterbalance or weightj.

' Having described my improvements, what I claim is- I The combination with a house-heater and a thermostat including a pivoted lever, of a d rat t-plate, a flexible connection between the lever and plate, a damper, means for arresting the'damper when fully closed, means for automatically swinging the damper into full open position and an independent flexible connection between said damper and draft- I plate,-said connection being of such a length that it will hold said damper in closed position when the plate is fully closed, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROB'l. G. LATIIAM. Witnesses:

J. B. THURSTON, EMILE I-I. TARDIVEL. 

